


Life is Raw. Everybody medicates.

by InsidiousIntent



Category: Roswell New Mexico (TV 2019)
Genre: Alex and Maria friendship, All the characters are magicians, F/M, Light Angst, M/M, Mystery, So Alex and Michael are canon, The Magicians AU, This is around the end of the first season of The Magicians, and Max and Liz are canon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-26
Updated: 2019-10-26
Packaged: 2021-01-03 09:01:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,737
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21176825
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/InsidiousIntent/pseuds/InsidiousIntent
Summary: “You keep sticking your noses into this,” she snapped. “Do you know how many times we’ve had this conversation Alex? How many times you’ve managed to dose me?”Alex opened his mouth to guess an answer, but was instantly cut off by the Dean. “Twenty seven times. We have talked about all this twenty seven times, and I am thoroughly sick of this shit.”





	Life is Raw. Everybody medicates.

**Author's Note:**

> This is for the All Hallows' Roswell week 4 prompt - Witches and Occult.   
October really kicked me where it hurt, but I really really wanted to explore a Magicians fusion for the RNM team. A lot of their dynamics are the same, and I may continue this universe down the road. Note - For those who are familiar with the show, there will be **NO** non-con in this fic. Thanks as always to my favorite human [estel_willow](https://archiveofourown.org/users/estel_willow/pseuds/estel_willow) who seriously puts up with all my shenanigans. ILU bb. 
> 
> And to the rest of the Junkyard - y'all keep me sane.

* * *

Dean Valenti lifted the tea cup to her lips, and took a small sip. “Get to the point Alex,” she said in her soft voice, “I have a trustees meeting to get to in fifteen minutes.”

Alex kept staring at her. “You know something about what is going on here,” he finally said. “The Beast, Mara. And I would like to know what is happening.”

Dean Valenti pushed back her chair and stood up. “I know you would. But we are done here.” Her dark glasses made it harder to understand her expression, but Alex wasn’t deterred. He was on a mission, and he was sick of not having any answers. Dean Valenti had to be in the know. “How much do you have in your savings account?” he asked instead, not moving from his place. 

“I think I have a comfortable nest egg now of three- _ shit, _” the Dean stopped speaking half way. “You little shit. You dosed me.” She sat back down. “Truth serum is toxic, Alex, and banned.”

“And yet you haven’t thrown any magic at me. _ So _. Mara. Who is she really?”

“Mara’s real name is Jane Chatwin.”

Alex’s jaw dropped. He was so sure that was a shot in the dark. “Oh. Ok,” he took a deep breath. “What does Jane have to do with the Beast?”

“Jane, thanks to the gifts given to her by Ember, can create time loops. When she fails to stop The Beast, she just resets everything and tries something new.”

Alex felt like a big rock was placed on his chest, his breaths coming shallow, as the scale of this fuckery was starting to clarify for him. The universe just couldn’t help but fuck with him, apparently at galactic scales. 

“But why me, why _ us _? What do we have to do with The Beast?” he asked, knowing from Dean Valenti’s exhale that she was losing patience. 

“You keep sticking your noses into this,” she snapped. “Do you know how many times we’ve had this conversation Alex? How many times you’ve managed to dose me?”

Alex opened his mouth to guess an answer, but was instantly cut off by the Dean. “Twenty seven times. We have talked about all _ this _twenty seven times, and I am thoroughly sick of this shit.”

“But why?”

“In each time loop, Jane changes something to see if it will help get The Beast.” Dean Valenti was starting to grit her teeth. “Those dreams you had of Michael Guerin? To bring you two together sooner. Ended up bringing The Beast to you sooner too.”

“Did any of it work?”

“Unfortunately, every loop ends with your death. And then we start over.”

“How many times have I died, Dean Valenti?”

“Thirty nine times. And now that Jane is dead, the time loops are done. This is the fortieth and the last time, Alex.” 

***

Maria was having doubts about the quest. The Lady Underground may be a goddess, but the warning from her priests was still ringing loudly in her ears. _ Unringing a bell _ is such an ominous choice of words, Maria no longer felt sure that she was on the right path. The _ we are going to summon a god _party in her apartment was still in full force, but Maria’s gut was telling her not to go through with it. 

She felt more than saw Liz approach her, and Maria tried to school her expression into neutrality. But Liz had already seen her, and she sat down close and offered her a glass of wine. 

“What’s on your mind Deluca?”

“Are we sure about this? That priest, hermit, whatever guy was super creepy.”

“Yes, yes he was. But you didn’t feel what I felt Maria. What I felt, the power I touched in that space, it was the real deal.”

“What if we do this and nothing changes? Or what if things get worse?”

Liz took a deep breath and held her hand out, “things are finally about to change. For the _ better _, I can feel it Maria. Please believe me.”

Maria took a deep breath. Yes it would be ok, everything would be fine once they summoned a god. 

***

Alex paced inside Maria’s apartment, unsure of how to start the conversation. It had been weeks since she accidentally came close to killing him, but he knew why that happened. He wasn’t over that mistake of hers, but Maria was still his best friend, his _ oldest _friend and she deserved the whole truth. And he needed her help. He was going to tell her everything. 

“So I did belong at Brakebills? I was right this whole time?” Maria’s eyes were wide with disbelief. 

Alex shrugged. “Yes you were. You were the thing Jane Chatwin changed this time. And I’m sorry I didn’t believe you.” 

Maria stopped him. “That doesn’t make up for what I did to you Alex. What I did to you...was stupid. And vindictive. And almost cost you your life. I’m _ so _sorry, Alex.” 

Alex exhaled slowly, and smiled. “Thank you.”

“So how do we fix all this Alex?” 

“I honestly don’t know, Em. It’s not that we may die, but I just don’t want to die being mad at my oldest friend.” 

There were tears in Maria’s eyes. Alex hadn’t called her by that nickname in months now, and she had almost lost hope that she would hear it again. 

“I really fucking missed you Alex,” her voice wavered as she ran up to hug her best friend. 

“Me too, Em. Me too.” 

Alex moved them both to the couch. “I have to say you’re taking the revelation of an epic magical conspiracy and our childhood books being real all too well. I wouldn’t be so chill if it were me.” 

Maria shrugged and smirked. “I mean I’ve seen bigger and better magic in the world,” she turned to face him excitedly. “Lex, you would not believe some of the shit my friends and I have seen.”

“Oh right, you and Liz. By the way, where is she?”

“Her and others yes. She’s on a mission, all my friends are on a mission right now.” 

“What mission?”

“The mission of divinity, Alex. The mission of a _ goddess _.” 

***

Isobel was having a shitty day. It was a day after a shitty week, at the end of a shitty ass month. And now as the group of them tried to hide from cannibals around the Neitherlands, she was on her last nerve. 

Watching her brothers spiral rapidly, Michael into drinking and apathy, and Max into rage was not how she was planning to end her time at Brakebills. They had always only had each other, and Isobel was so sure they were going to coast through the last year on booze and parties and perfect grades. Until Alex Manes and Liz Ortecho strolled into Brakebills and shattered her perfect dreams. 

She looked at the group of cannibals at the Earth Fountain. “Well the Earth fountain is blocked off,” she told the group. 

Michael shrugged. “Well we had to try anyways, what else were we going to do?” 

Kyle was looking apocalyptic. “How about not getting us kicked out of the Library in the first place, Guerin?”

Max was growing irritated again, and he turned around to start walking. “We need to keep moving. Let’s go.” 

As they tried to walk away from their hiding spot, a shadowy figure emerged from the corner and stood barring their way. Max and Michael were both immediately on the offensive, while Kyle and Isobel going on the defensive.

“Don’t take another step!” Max yelled. “We’re highly trained Earth magicians!”

“Whoa whoa, you guys are from Brakebills?” the shadowy figure said, while pulling off her hoodie. “Rosa Ortecho, class of 2016! Come with me if you want to live.” 

The whole group looked at each other and at Rosa. She chuckled. “I’ve always wanted to say that.” She looked around the corner and then back at the group, “but seriously we need to go now.” 

***

1942 was not the most glamorous time in England. As Alex and Maria followed a teen Jane Chatwin around London, the reality of World War II was all around them. The city was far from the vibrant city that they knew from their own time. Everywhere they looked, evidence of war was a deep wound in the heart of the city, and the hearts of its residents. 

They scrambled to follow Jane and watched as she entered a small store, there to buy a gift for her brother, according to the Fillory and Further books. 

Maria was staring at the young girl through the glass store window. “She looks so young.” 

Alex could sympathize. “She has no idea what is coming for her and her siblings.”

Maria turned to look at him. “Just like we never had an idea what was coming for us.” Alex put his arm around her shoulders. She held on with a strength she hadn’t done in the past. The guilt of her actions was something they both had to work to move past. 

Alex looked up and across the street, then shoved Maria gently. “Em, look. Across the street from the store. Isn’t that the door to Fillory?” 

There across from them stood a red telephone booth. Alex and Maria watched Jane dash out of the store and enter the telephone booth into a burst of light. They both ran to follow her, hands held tightly. 

At the door, the light shone bright at them. 

“You ready Janey?” Alex asked. 

Maria grinned at him, hard. “Why yes Martin, I think I am.” 

They dashed into the telephone booth, only to come out on the other side on a forest floor. The trees stretched up and around them, reaching up to the heavens. The forest floor was soft and even the air felt different, heavier yet softer around them. Alex moved around in a circle slowly, ending up next to Maria, who was staring at something in the distance, tears streaming from eyes even as she smiled ear to ear. 

“Look, Alex. We’re here,” she whispered, her tone so full of awe. 

Alex looked where she was pointing. Off into the distance lay a valley surrounded by giant mountains. And in the middle of the valley was a white castle, adorned by three spires with moving, shining diamonds. Alex felt his breath catch his throat. 

_ Fillory. _

**Author's Note:**

> Come cry about all things malex with me on [Tumblr](https://insidious-intent.tumblr.com/)


End file.
